AAHOA – Lodginghttp://lodgingmagazine.com
Official Publication of the AH&LAMon, 19 Mar 2018 17:38:38 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.4Jagruti Panwala: AAHOA Trailblazerhttp://lodgingmagazine.com/jagruti-panwala-aahoa-trailblazer/
http://lodgingmagazine.com/jagruti-panwala-aahoa-trailblazer/#respondThu, 11 Jan 2018 12:00:26 +0000http://lodgingmagazine.com/?p=34862In 2019, the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) will welcome Jagruti Panwala as the first chairwoman in the organization’s history. Elected last year as secretary, Panwala is a hospitality industry veteran. She has owned and managed hotels with her family and owns an asset protection company, Wealth Protection Strategies. When Panwala first started her career, her goal was to own her own business. Hospitality was a natural fit. “I see myself as someone who ...

]]>In 2019, the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) will welcome Jagruti Panwala as the first chairwoman in the organization’s history. Elected last year as secretary, Panwala is a hospitality industry veteran. She has owned and managed hotels with her family and owns an asset protection company, Wealth Protection Strategies. When Panwala first started her career, her goal was to own her own business. Hospitality was a natural fit. “I see myself as someone who is customer oriented; I like working with people and making sure I’m providing them with the right service. Working in hospitality and financial services gives me the perfect outlet to do that.”

Even with her career-long immersion in the industry, becoming an AAHOA officer was a significant decision, Panwala says. “When I considered running for office and what it would mean to eventually become the first chairwoman of the association, I thought long and hard about whether the industry was ready for women in leadership.” She decided to take the leap—and is glad she did. Panwala credits the association and its members for supporting her effort and making history with her election. “I think when other industry groups, partners, and associations saw that AAHOA had chosen a woman to be a future chairperson, it put us on a different level. It opened doors for us that had previously been closed,” she explains.

With two years to go until taking on her role as chairwoman, Panwala is moving full steam ahead. She says she takes every opportunity to represent AAHOA members’ interests and share their stories with key decision makers at local, state, and federal levels. “Fifteen years ago, hoteliers didn’t worry as much about laws and regulations. We were more concerned with how to fill up rooms, our ROI, getting our ADR up,” Panwala explains. “The laws and regulations governing small business owners play a big part in our success.” Oversupply in the market, joint employer regulation, drive-by lawsuits, and fighting human trafficking are just a few of the issues that Panwala lists as her top concerns for the industry right now.

Despite the challenges facing hoteliers, Panwala sees so much potential in the industry and its next generation of leaders. “I see the industry and AAHOA growing beyond measure because these young people are coming in and getting far more involved than previous generations,” Panwala explains. Her best advice to up-and-coming hospitality professionals is to go where they see growth. “Take a really good, long look at the supply and demand in the areas you want to invest in.”

Panwala also sees a future with more women in hospitality. “Support and encouragement from superiors and peers is what gives women the push they need to stay involved.” She adds that removing barriers to leadership is another key—like creating equal pay, for example. “Recognizing women as leaders and giving them the opportunity to move upward is critical,” Panwala says. “Women are movers. Women are shakers. Women get things done.”

]]>http://lodgingmagazine.com/jagruti-panwala-aahoa-trailblazer/feed/0Checking In with Bhavesh Patel, AAHOA Chairmanhttp://lodgingmagazine.com/checking-in-with-bhavesh-patel-aahoa-chairman/
http://lodgingmagazine.com/checking-in-with-bhavesh-patel-aahoa-chairman/#respondTue, 19 Dec 2017 12:00:35 +0000http://lodgingmagazine.com/?p=34846In the 28 years since his family purchased a small hotel after emigrating to the United States from England, Bhavesh Patel has been involved in nearly every aspect of the hotel business. The longtime president and principal of ADM Hotels, who this year became chairman of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), stressed to LODGING the importance of education, both of its members on best management practices and legislators on matters of concern to ...

]]>In the 28 years since his family purchased a small hotel after emigrating to the United States from England, Bhavesh Patel has been involved in nearly every aspect of the hotel business. The longtime president and principal of ADM Hotels, who this year became chairman of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), stressed to LODGING the importance of education, both of its members on best management practices and legislators on matters of concern to its members.

When and why did you first get involved with AAHOA?
As our company grew and I became more involved in the industry, I began to see the negative effects of government policies and regulations on our industry. It was the implementation of New Jersey’s 2007 occupancy tax that initially led me to AAHOA. I recognized that by raising our concerns as a large group we could have more impact on lawmakers and officials to steer the conversation in a way that leads to policies that are fairer to hotels.

How has AAHOA changed since you joined the organization?
First, AAHOA has grown not only in membership—we now have 16,655 members—but it has also matured as an organization influence added its influence. We’ve developed and implemented short-term and long-term strategic goals, and have hired top-notch sta to advance our mission. We have also welcomed to the board an influx of young members. Having a board with members of diverse ages and genders brings a balance that is reflected in our growth. All of that adds up to an organization that has grown to be bigger than the sum of its individual parts. The focus has now really changed to be more on advocacy and education, but still taking care of our members’ needs.

Now that you’re chair, what are some of your top initiatives?
Education, which is the foundation of growing our industry and AAHOA, is my top priority. The more we know about how to efficiently run our businesses, find and retain customers, hire and promote the best staff and, perhaps most importantly, respond and comply with government rules, the bigger we’ll grow and the more success we’ll enjoy. The fruits of our labor will be to provide a successful business to the next generation and to provide stable jobs and a “work family” for our employees. Last year, AAHOA offered more than 40 industry-specific webinars. We want to see that doubled. We also want to triple the number of in-person seminars we offer. We want to see our new conference series, Hotel ROI, succeed and come back bigger and better next year. We want to offer more resources and options for AAHOA’s younger members. They’re our future, and we want them to stay in the industry and nd success.

What role do organizations like AAHOA play in the lodging industry?
We’re the voice of the owners. Most people in the country see just the individual brands, which is a feature of franchising and part of why it’s worked so well. But for each property and the brand as a whole to be successful, the relationship needs to be a partnership. That’s where AAHOA comes in. We have the influence and size to work directly with brand executives when issues come up. We voice our concerns on an active basis, before they become really big. We need solutions that are to the benet of everyone.

Does anything in the lodging industry keep you up at night?
I do worry about what new tax or regulations affecting our industry politicians will come up with next. It’s hard for those who don’t have to meet a payroll to understand that our employees’ families are relying on us to be able to put food on the table. We’ve seen hotel occupancy taxes increased to pay for roads, the joint employer definition, which affects every franchisee, change on a whim, and extreme wage laws. All of these take away from the business’s success.

What do you like most about working in hospitality?
The people and the challenge. The people include my own family, who can be part of my business, but I have also met so many close friends and amazing people both inside and outside AAHOA. The challenge lies in overcoming obstacles, which I like to face head-on, and accomplishing something that you didn’t think you ever could when you first started.

]]>http://lodgingmagazine.com/checking-in-with-bhavesh-patel-aahoa-chairman/feed/0COMMENTARY: Hoteliers Need To Defend Like-Kind Exchangeshttp://lodgingmagazine.com/commentary-as-lawmakers-debate-tax-reform-hoteliers-need-to-defend-like-kind-exchanges/
http://lodgingmagazine.com/commentary-as-lawmakers-debate-tax-reform-hoteliers-need-to-defend-like-kind-exchanges/#respondThu, 14 Dec 2017 12:00:55 +0000http://lodgingmagazine.com/?p=34795This article originally appeared in the November 2017 issue of LODGING. Lawmakers are making progress on tax reform, albeit at Congress’ glacially slow pace. House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have made an overhaul of the tax code their top legislative priority this fall, along with their deputies who lead the tax-writing committees in both chambers. The hospitality industry may be positioned for even greater growth in the years to come ...

]]>This article originally appeared in the November 2017 issue of LODGING.

Lawmakers are making progress on tax reform, albeit at Congress’ glacially slow pace. House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have made an overhaul of the tax code their top legislative priority this fall, along with their deputies who lead the tax-writing committees in both chambers.

The hospitality industry may be positioned for even greater growth in the years to come should their efforts succeed. The Republican leaders, along with the Trump administration, aim to cut individual and corporate tax rates, as well as create a new tax bracket for pass-through businesses. This infusion of capital back into the economy will have a major impact.

The corporate tax rate is due for a cut, if only just to keep up with the rest of the world. As companies increasingly compete internationally, the U.S. corporate tax structure has fallen further and further behind. According to the nonpartisan Tax Foundation, the U.S. has the third-highest corporate tax rate in the world at nearly 39 percent, while the average corporate rate in the world is just 22.5 percent.

The proposal to create a new tax structure for pass-through businesses will transform the small-business climate in the country. Currently, such income is taxed at the individual rate. Lawmakers hope to see a pass-through rate closer to the ultimate corporate rate, which will spur small-business creation and growth.

The simplification of the tax code—eliminating complexities that cost businesses and individuals alike billions per year in compliance—will be a big boost to the economy, but it is also an area where hoteliers need to remain vigilant.

Lawmakers hope to find additional revenue in simplification to make tax reform deficit-neutral, a key requirement of the Senate rules for reform to be permanent (otherwise, the bill would be required to have a 10-year sunset).

To be clear, even deficit-neutral tax reform will present billions of dollars in savings for businesses through reduced accounting and legal costs. Nonetheless, we need to ensure that lawmakers do not throw out key pro-growth provisions as they eliminate the loopholes and special-interest giveaways and search for ways to increase revenue.

One such item is the like-kind exchanges under section 1031 of the tax code. This century-old provision is used by businesses of all sizes that own, buy, or sell commercial real estate. Under a like-kind exchange, the sale of real estate does not become a taxable event if the entire proceeds from the sale are invested in a similar asset of equal or greater value during a short period of time.

The boost that like-kind exchanges give to the economy and job creation is real. A 2015 study by Ernst and Young revealed that repeal would reduce annual GDP by $13.1 billion, annual investment by $7 billion, and annual income by $1.4 billion.

In the hotel industry, like-kind exchanges promote quicker turnover of properties, allowing young entrepreneurs to more easily enter the business. This dynamic keeps our industry vibrant and always evolving, which is essential to a healthy economy.

Tax reform, done correctly, will have a generational impact on our economy and our industry. This is a legacy-defining moment for lawmakers and President Trump. Lower taxes and a simpler, fairer tax code for all of America are within their reach. Join me in urging them to get the job done before the end of 2017, and we can all look forward to continued prosperity and growth for years to come.

About the AuthorChip Rogers is the CEO of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA).

]]>http://lodgingmagazine.com/commentary-as-lawmakers-debate-tax-reform-hoteliers-need-to-defend-like-kind-exchanges/feed/0Hotel Execs Grapple with Brand Consistency, Guest Experiencehttp://lodgingmagazine.com/hotel-execs-grapple-with-brand-consistency-guest-experience-at-the-lodging-conference/
http://lodgingmagazine.com/hotel-execs-grapple-with-brand-consistency-guest-experience-at-the-lodging-conference/#respondThu, 02 Nov 2017 13:52:38 +0000http://lodgingmagazine.com/?p=34076During day three of The Lodging Conference, hotel executives grappled with what brand consistency and guest experience mean in the industry today to owners and guests. In a panel discussion, Thomas Magnuson, CEO and co-founder of Magnuson Hotels, described how consumers are rejecting the standardization of branded properties. Greg Mount, president and CEO of RLH Corporation, differentiated between brand consistency for guest expectations, like cleanliness, WiFi, and TV, and brand standards, like carpet color, saying ...

]]>During day three of The Lodging Conference, hotel executives grappled with what brand consistency and guest experience mean in the industry today to owners and guests. In a panel discussion, Thomas Magnuson, CEO and co-founder of Magnuson Hotels, described how consumers are rejecting the standardization of branded properties. Greg Mount, president and CEO of RLH Corporation, differentiated between brand consistency for guest expectations, like cleanliness, WiFi, and TV, and brand standards, like carpet color, saying that consumers now care less about the latter. AAHOA Chairman Bhavesh Patel supported that claim from an owner’s perspective, explaining that certain brand mandates, whether the type of sheet or coffee, may not actually have a real impact on guest experience. “At the end of the day, it’s all about ROI,” Patel said.

However, the nature of a branded asset, explained Michael Medzigian, managing partner at Watermark Capital Partners, LLC, is that properties that fall below brand standards can harm the entire brand. Creating a positive experience ultimately comes down to hotel staff, explained Ken Greene, president for Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, the Americas. “We have to create a consistent experience,” Greene said. “If it doesn’t increase revenues, if it increases expenses, then there’s no reason for us to ask an owner to go do it. I think we have to be smarter about what standardization is, whether it’s product standardization or customer experience.”

To take a smart approach to standardization and guest experience, Magnuson emphasized the importance of customer data from both consumers and owners. “You have to follow what the customers are saying,” Magnuson said, reiterating the idea that guests don’t care about areas like carpet color or roof pitch. Kevin Frid, COO of AccorHotels in North and Central America, pointed out that when it comes to analyzing guest behavior, it’s dangerous to generalize and lump guests into one experience category. For example, business travelers and leisure travelers are often the same guests who want a completely different experience on each type of trip.

Liam Brown, president of North American franchising, owner services, and MxM select brands for Marriott International, said, “At the end of the day, the customer really doesn’t care what your brand strategy is except in the context of how they experience it that day.” Brown added that providing an interesting product, a meaningful experience, and service that connects is a formula that hasn’t changed over time. “There’s a basic expectation for what you should get in a hotel, and then you’ve got to layer on those experiences.”

]]>http://lodgingmagazine.com/hotel-execs-grapple-with-brand-consistency-guest-experience-at-the-lodging-conference/feed/0AAHOA Partners With Magnuson Hotelshttp://lodgingmagazine.com/aahoa-partners-with-magnuson-hotels/
http://lodgingmagazine.com/aahoa-partners-with-magnuson-hotels/#respondWed, 12 Apr 2017 13:59:00 +0000http://lodgingmagazine.com/?p=30209The Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), the largest hotel owner association in the world, today announced a partnership with Magnuson Hotels to provide access to Magnuson Hotels’ global reservation system, the world’s largest online hotel booking system. The Magnuson Hotels access will enable AAHOA’s thousands of independent hoteliers access to online bookings. With more than 16,000 members, AAHOA members own nearly one in every two hotels in the United States. With 1000 hotels across ...

]]>The Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), the largest hotel owner association in the world, today announced a partnership with Magnuson Hotels to provide access to Magnuson Hotels’ global reservation system, the world’s largest online hotel booking system. The Magnuson Hotels access will enable AAHOA’s thousands of independent hoteliers access to online bookings.

With more than 16,000 members, AAHOA members own nearly one in every two hotels in the United States. With 1000 hotels across 3 continents, Magnuson Hotels is the world’s largest independent hotel group. Magnuson Hotels will give AAHOA’s independent hotelier members access to its global reservation system of over 2000 travel websites and 650,000 travel agents.

AAHOA members will also join Magnuson’s powerful new global hotel alliance with Jin Jiang Hotels, China’s largest operator, and Louvre Hotels Group, Europe’s largest operator. The partnership represents an inventory base of nearly 8,000 hotels/800,000 rooms, a consortium the size of the number 2 global group. AAHOA independent hoteliers will be able to gain new business from China, Europe, and over 50 countries, as well as access to Jin Jiang’s-100 Million member rewards club.

AAHOA independent hotel members will also be able to access Magnuson’s new hotel rewards program with Amazon.com.

“Independent hoteliers play an incredibly important role, within not only AAHOA but also the greater hospitality industry,” said AAHOA President and CEO Chip Rogers. “We’re excited that this partnership offers access to Magnuson’s state-of-the-art system to our independent owners.”

]]>http://lodgingmagazine.com/aahoa-partners-with-magnuson-hotels/feed/0Hilton Garden Inn’s F&B Enhancementshttp://lodgingmagazine.com/hilton-garden-inns-fb-enhancements/
http://lodgingmagazine.com/hilton-garden-inns-fb-enhancements/#commentsWed, 12 Apr 2017 13:50:25 +0000http://lodgingmagazine.com/?p=30203At AAHOA this week, Hilton is making some big announcements regarding the F&B program for Hilton Garden Inn. John Greenleaf, SVP and global head of the brand, spoke with LODGING about the brand’s new enhancements and how Hilton hoteliers are responding to the updated program. What is driving change in Hilton Garden Inn this year? At our January conference in Chicago, where there were nearly 2,000 general managers and sales directors from around the world, ...

]]>At AAHOA this week, Hilton is making some big announcements regarding the F&B program for Hilton Garden Inn. John Greenleaf, SVP and global head of the brand, spoke with LODGING about the brand’s new enhancements and how Hilton hoteliers are responding to the updated program.

What is driving change in Hilton Garden Inn this year?

At our January conference in Chicago, where there were nearly 2,000 general managers and sales directors from around the world, we introduced what we refer to as “the Hilton Garden Inn brand refresh.” We’ve taken a close look at our audience and focused the refresh on four key attributes of the brand: Driving communication and making changes in our culture, food and beverage, and the prototypes.

We also examined and completely recast the culture of the brand—what we refer to internally as “brand hospitality”—to focus on a new approach, which also includes updating the Hilton Garden Inn Guarantee.

Then, of course, there’s the food and beverage component. We’ve taken a look at food and beverage and completely restaged the convenience market, which was previously called the Pavilion Pantry. We have those in test in six hotels in the U.S. and in Europe and two more will be opening very soon. We’ve also completely redesigned the restaurant, which will be the prototype for North America as well as the other five prototypes we have around the world. We’ve changed not just the food itself, but also its location—it’s now in a multi-use public space—and availability. We sought to update all aspects of the brand, but have been very careful to maintain the core brand competencies for Garden Inn. What we made a very strong effort to do is to take what we’ve always been good at and focus on making it even better. We’ve basically incorporated the uniqueness of the prototype and the forward-looking design into the things we’re known for and that our guests value—including our look, our leadership in food and beverage, our fitness center, and availability of food through a market.

Let’s talk about the F&B in more detail. Why was it important to update your offerings?

We’re calling the new concept—which is style in the testing phase—the Garden Market. We want to make sure that the guests know what it offers when they walk in. I think an important consideration for a global brand is consistency in the core benefits that the guests come to expect. When they choose this brand over others, they know the level of comfort they can expect, and I think that’s very important for generating loyalty in a highly valued stay. When you look at the different forces that push and pull on guest satisfaction, food and beverage is clearly one, because guests will be eating three meals over those 24 hours. The better we can cater to the needs of the guests while they’re with us, the more we can create value for them. This creates the kind of experience that generates loyalty, because it very clearly shows guests that we’ve listened to their needs and we’re in the process of evolving our product to better meet them. I’m confident that it will generate increases in loyalty, which is one of the data points we’re tracking. Further on, we’ll be able to show owners an assessment of how these markets impact their assets.

How many properties are piloting the program right now?

There are now six; they are located in Spring, Tex., Pensacola, Fla., Silver Spring, Md., Green Bay, Wisc., and Krakow, Poland; others will be opening soon in Bohol, Wash., and Arlington, Tex., plus another in the United Kingdom for a total of nine properties. Oftentimes, hotel companies will come up with a new brand standard or a requirement for a hotel and push it out and give the hotel owners some time to put it in place. What we’ve done here that is a little bit different is create a very comprehensive financial model for the level of investment required, the increment of revenue that we anticipate, the margin on the revenue created, the potential for the incremental room rates, and the impact on the food and beverage sales. This way, when we go to the owners and tell them what they will need to put in place at their hotels, we’ll have a very strong financial story to tell them.

Why is now the right time to make these enhancements?

The brand has long been successful. We’ve maintained a significant market share premium through the last year and we’ve increased it somewhat this year. But when you’re the market leader—especially in markets that are as dynamic as they are now with new brands and new ownership of existing brands—it’s critically important not to rest on our laurels and assume we can maintain that leadership position by doing what we’ve been doing. We can use our position of strength to leverage change, which is what we’ve done. By engaging our owners through our different organizations, our team members learn about our guests’ concerns as well as what they like most. We’ve really taken that leadership position and found out what we need to do to expand. The timing is appropriate, given the time and our place in the lodging market.

How have owners and franchisees been responding?

It’s truly been remarkably positive. We’ve had nothing but support. We were very conscious of the path we took to announce the changes we were about to make. This began with communication to our owners, and now we’re working with the industry. People will be aware of the updates we’ll be pushing out to the hotels as well as the fresh approach we’re taking to our culture and the services we provide in our hotels. The changes in food and beverage are dramatic—especially when you consider our competition. In the market that we’re testing, we have prototypes in hotels in the U.S. and in Europe that include a fairly sizable percentage of local products, including prepared food that are available at any time of day.

This is a much more customer-friendly market, one you can actually walk through. We have a couple of different forms of them, and we’re looking at different ways to construct them to be able to offer alternatives to owners. People will be able to get food 24 hours a day. The bar in the restaurant in the prototype now is at the front of the hotel, with doors to the outside terrace, which has been repositioned to the front, offering indoor-outdoor dining in markets with agreeable weather. There will be more current menu offerings with smaller portions and shared plates. We’re excited to be able to provide guests with a wider variety of options and to offer owners an opportunity to generate more revenue.

]]>http://lodgingmagazine.com/hilton-garden-inns-fb-enhancements/feed/2AAHOA Reaches 16,000 Membershttp://lodgingmagazine.com/aahoa-reaches-16000-members/
http://lodgingmagazine.com/aahoa-reaches-16000-members/#respondMon, 24 Oct 2016 12:29:01 +0000http://lodgingmagazine.com/?p=27972ATLANTA—The Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) has announced that its hotel-owner membership has officially reached a record 16,000. Already the world’s largest hotel owners association, AAHOA’s burgeoning growth in the past two years is evident not only in the size of its membership, but in its rapidly expanding relationships with key partners. “I am enormously proud of AAHOA’s progress and grateful to everyone who played a part in helping us reach this milestone,” said ...

]]>ATLANTA—The Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) has announced that its hotel-owner membership has officially reached a record 16,000.

Already the world’s largest hotel owners association, AAHOA’s burgeoning growth in the past two years is evident not only in the size of its membership, but in its rapidly expanding relationships with key partners.

“I am enormously proud of AAHOA’s progress and grateful to everyone who played a part in helping us reach this milestone,” said AAHOA president and CEO Chip Rogers. “I’d like especially to thank our members for their loyalty and support and the AAHOA Board of Directors for their relentless hard work on AAHOA’s behalf.”

AAHOA broke its previous membership record of 15,200 in August and set a year-end goal of 16,000.

“Reaching this goal more than two months ahead of schedule tells you all you need to know about AAHOA,” added AAHOA Chairman Bharat “Bruce” Patel. “We are strong, we are united, and we are honored to help lead this amazing industry.”

]]>http://lodgingmagazine.com/aahoa-reaches-16000-members/feed/0Checking In with Jagruti Panwalahttp://lodgingmagazine.com/checking-in-with-jagruti-panwala/
http://lodgingmagazine.com/checking-in-with-jagruti-panwala/#respondMon, 17 Oct 2016 16:00:52 +0000http://lodgingmagazine.com/?p=27908Jagruti Panwala is a busy woman. Her family owns and manages four hotels, the first of which Panwala bought with her father and uncle when she was only 19 years old. She is the owner and president of Wealth Protection Strategies, an asset protection company. And, adding to her responsibilities, earlier this year Panwala was elected secretary of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), the first woman to ever reach such a position in ...

]]>Jagruti Panwala is a busy woman. Her family owns and manages four hotels, the first of which Panwala bought with her father and uncle when she was only 19 years old. She is the owner and president of Wealth Protection Strategies, an asset protection company. And, adding to her responsibilities, earlier this year Panwala was elected secretary of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), the first woman to ever reach such a position in the organization’s 27 years of existence. She will climb the ranks at AAHOA, and in 2019, she will also become the organization’s first female chair. Panwala is raring to go, and already has several initiatives for AAHOA in mind.

How did you first get involved with AAHOA?
Honestly, if you’re in the hospitality industry, how can you not be involved with AAHOA? AAHOA members own one out of every two hotels in the United States. I’ve been a member for over a decade, but first became a board member in 2011. I ran for female director at large, Eastern Division, which focuses mostly on increasing women’s involvement in the association. It was a three-year term, and when it was up for re-election in 2014, I won again. So by the end of my term as chair, I’ll have been a board member for 10 years.

What was it like to learn you were going to be AAHOA’s first female officer?
AAHOA has been around for 27 years. So when I won, I felt that it was time. The participation of women has been increasing in AAHOA, but rarely, if ever, in leadership roles. Never for chair. It always seemed like a tough road—and it is a tough road—but I think we needed to break the barriers. The membership was excited and ready. I was elected via general election, which encompassed over 1,200 voters. When I received a majority vote, I knew that membership was ready for a female leader. I’m honored that they put that trust and faith in me.

What’s changed since you’ve become an officer?
My perspective. When you’re a member, you’re looking at everything on a very basic side. These are my needs as a member, and these are the things that I want AAHOA to be doing. When you are an officer, you are looking at everything from the perspective of the whole association. Now, I’m thinking about how we as an organization keep progressing and how we can protect our association from things that will cause it harm.

What initiatives do you have planned for AAHOA?
When I ran my elections, there were a few initiatives on my platform. The first was education. I’ve always thought that whatever you do in life, if you’re educated, you’ll be better at it. We have to come up with new and advanced educational programs for our members. We’re currently developing brand workshops, like how to structure a new hotel. We’re also working with brands like Hyatt, Hilton, and Choice to do a one-day workshop for young professionals and women hoteliers.

This isn’t my personal initiative, but it’s one that we’re doing as board members and officers. Women and young professionals are the backbone of this industry. We rolled out this initiative this year. There’s also legislation. We’re really focusing a lot on state and local laws. We have always been very passionate about the federal side, but now we’re hiring more people to make sure that we are focusing on the state and local side regarding any laws that could affect the hospitality industry.

How do you get it all done? Do you ever sleep?
I sleep, but every day I wake up and I determine the 10 things I need to get done. Then I prioritize them and get them done. Sometimes things change, and I have to change with them, but I also am able to set clear boundaries for my time. When I’m with my family, I’m with my family, and I make a conscious effort not to let my work seep in. It all works out because I love what I do. I love AAHOA. I love my hotels. I love my asset protection business. If you love what you do, you can manage it.

]]>http://lodgingmagazine.com/checking-in-with-jagruti-panwala/feed/0Legislative Action Summit Spotlights Industry Concernshttp://lodgingmagazine.com/legislative-action-summit-spotlights-industry-concerns/
http://lodgingmagazine.com/legislative-action-summit-spotlights-industry-concerns/#respondThu, 19 May 2016 14:36:20 +0000http://lodgingmagazine.com/?p=25089More than 500 hospitality professionals gathered in the nation’s capitol May 17–18 to discuss the industry’s most pressing matters with Washington, D.C., policymakers. Hosted by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) and the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), the Legislative Action Summit updated attendees on industry concerns and provided them with the tools needed to express their views to their state representatives. In a talk closed to press, Charlie Cook, editor and publisher ...

]]>More than 500 hospitality professionals gathered in the nation’s capitol May 17–18 to discuss the industry’s most pressing matters with Washington, D.C., policymakers.

Hosted by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) and the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), the Legislative Action Summit updated attendees on industry concerns and provided them with the tools needed to express their views to their state representatives. In a talk closed to press, Charlie Cook, editor and publisher of The Cook Report, provided insights and analysis on this year’s presidential race and who will control the House and Senate next year. For the majority of the first day, attendees received a master class in Lobbying 101, detailing effective ways to express their opinions to Congress, with political messaging expert Steven Allen there to provide direction. AH&LA and AAHOA members learned what to do—and what not to do—when they approached the Hill the next day.

The Legislative Action Summit zeroed in on a select few top advocacy issues: Stopping online booking scams, regulating short-term rentals like Airbnb, concerns over overtime and joint-employer rules, and stopping drive-by lawsuits.

The final speaker of day one was Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.). He cited hospitality’s massive impact on the U.S. economy as the reason why hoteliers must express their concerns to politicians in order to continue a thriving business. Each day, nearly 5 million people check into a hotel. The hospitality sector employs more than 1.9 million Americans, and generates nearly $1.4 trillion in travel revenue. On its own, lodging brings in $176 billion in sales revenue.

“My role today is to explain to you just how critical your role is. But I’ve got a feeling that you already know, which is why you’re here. It’s why you’re taking time out of running your businesses. You’ve come here to tell us what your needs are and how we can better serve you, so you can better serve our country,” Hoyer said. “A real economic resurgence will only be possible once businesses have certainty and reassurance that the government will be a partner by investing in their future.”

On day two, keynote speaker Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) shared his perspective on the current Congressional landscape and its potential implications for the hotel industry. It was then off to Capitol Hill, where hoteliers had the opportunity to meet with their Congressional Representatives to educate them on the issues most impactful to hospitality’s bottom line.

To wrap up the two-day event, AH&LA hosted its annual Stars of the Industry reception, which recognized outstanding employee and property accomplishments in 2015. For a full list of winners, click here.

]]>http://lodgingmagazine.com/legislative-action-summit-spotlights-industry-concerns/feed/0AAHOA CEO Joins Forbes Nonprofit Councilhttp://lodgingmagazine.com/aahoa-ceo-joins-forbes-nonprofit-council/
http://lodgingmagazine.com/aahoa-ceo-joins-forbes-nonprofit-council/#respondMon, 25 Apr 2016 16:02:14 +0000http://lodgingmagazine.com/?p=24539Asian American Hotel Owners Association President and CEO Chip Rogers has joined the Forbes Nonprofit Council, an invitation-only group that selects individuals who are part of a certified 501 (3) organization with a minimum of $1 million in annual donor contributions or annual revenue, as well as serve in an executive role. To read more, click here.

]]>Asian American Hotel Owners Association President and CEO Chip Rogers has joined the Forbes Nonprofit Council, an invitation-only group that selects individuals who are part of a certified 501 (3) organization with a minimum of $1 million in annual donor contributions or annual revenue, as well as serve in an executive role. To read more, click here.